OLIVE BRANCH, NC – “I would be drilling wheat until one, two in the morning,” said Derrick Austin, “freezing my tail off. Then get up and go to my grading job. It was the start of where I’m at now. If it hadn’t been for those late nights then I wouldn’t be where I am now.” Austin is a grain farmer i...

A wall full of ribbons is an impressive sight, but is it a confidence booster or a reminder of failure? When she was 12, Jessica Rupp, of Aspers, PA, started participating in local shows in English classes. But her heart was set on barrel racing. “I competed in hunter and jumper classes until I was ...

The doorways at your farm market are wide enough. You have ramps at entrances and designated parking spaces and restroom stalls. You think you’re completely accessible. But you could find yourself sued for lack of accessibility if your website isn’t compatible with software that reads text for those...

Food, and that elusive taste of home. Vendors and farmers at the New Bedford Farmers Market (NBFM) in New Bedford, MA, have been selling fresh high quality beef, fish and produce for people to make delicious meals in their own homes for decades. They also sell hand-crafted goods. On March 20, the Co...

Mike and Suzanne Jones have been raising a family on a small outdoor livestock farm in north central North Carolina since 2004. The Joneses pasture raise hogs as well as some cattle. They are able to make it work by selling retail to the consumer, primarily at the North Carolina State Farmers Market...

Folks came from far and wide to exhibit their dairy cattle in the prestigious 2019 Spring Dairy Carousel in Syracuse, NY. The annual, four-day international show, hosted by the New York Holstein Association (NYHA), took place at the New York State Fairgrounds and featured seven dairy breed shows, sa...

When pasturing pigs, there are always valid concerns about damage done to soil through their rooting behaviors. Frequently moving pigs to prevent them from damaging the soil structure once the vegetation is cleared is one of the key aspects of keeping pigs on pasture. Pigs love to graze, and utilizi...

Farmers know their land. They’re aware of every field with below-average yields, where water accumulates and every spot that could use just a bit more lime. The challenge is making adjustments to only those areas without spending additional time or money. Whether or not they use it, most farmers are...

One might think that farming is all about growing a great crop – but it’s selling that crop that brings in the profit. In today’s agricultural marketplace, dominated by large corporations competing on price, the small farmer, selling directly to customers, can find it challenging to find and retain ...